Good morning, Mendips! It's Friday, and the weekend is a good one. The Wells Festival of Literature opens tonight, Wells Cathedral goes candlelit, and Glastonbury turns faerie for two days. Elsewhere, a Glastonbury chef has been crowned Chef of the Year.
Let’s get to it . . .
🗓️ Weekend Planner — what to do from tonight to Sunday
📰 Hot News - Mendips Style — Shepton optician's 40 years · Glastonbury's Chef of the Year · Wells traffic consultation
🔤 Uxbridge English Dictionary — today's entry
🐕 Featured Article — Five dogs and two thousand years at Charterhouse
📅 What's On This Week — across the Mendips
🌡️ Weather — Wells BA5 forecast
What Shall We Do For The Weekend?
The forecast is on our side. Friday starts damp, then Saturday looks sunny and dry and Sunday stays clear, so there is no excuse to stay in. The Wells Festival of Literature is under way, Glastonbury is in a faerie mood, and there's something for the little ones on Sunday.
Start tonight in Wells, where Wells Cathedral hosts Celine Dion by Candlelight at 7.30pm. The Wells Festival of Literature also opens at Cedars Hall with novelist Patrick Gale at 6pm, followed by Stephen Sackur at 7.45pm.
If you'd rather keep it local and cheerful, Draycott Community Cinema shows Power Station at 8pm (doors 7.30pm). It's a documentary about community-led solar power with a dash of Ealing comedy, followed by a Q&A with the Cheddar Hydro Project. Tickets are just £5, and it suits anyone curious about where our energy might come from next.
Saturday is the big one. The festival's busiest day runs from 10.30am to a 7.15pm finish, so dip into one session or build a day around it. Jonathan Dimbleby speaks at 5.30pm. Tickets sold out but returns may be available on the door.
That evening, Coldplay by Candlelight takes over the Cathedral at 7.30pm. Over in Glastonbury, the Glastonbury Faerie Weekend fills the Town Hall on Saturday and Sunday with a free daytime fayre. The ticketed Faerie Ball is for over-18s, and Green Men are welcome.
Nearby, Enchantment runs all weekend at The Modern Theatre of Myth, with chamber music, storytelling, theatre workshops and discussion.
Rock fans, the geological sort, have a treat too. For Earth Science Week, Mendip Rocks are holding three talks on Saturday at the Somerset Earth Science Centre in Stoke St Michael. Anjana Khatwa shares stories from the Earth, Vince Simmonds digs into Ice Age finds from Mendip caves (including the Woolly Rhino skull now at Wells & Mendip Museum), and Owen Dukes of Tarmac explains Mendip's mineral resources. Tickets are £15, or £5 for students and the unwaged, and refreshments are included. Times and booking are on Eventbrite.
On Sunday, families should head for Chew Magna and Not Now Bernard at 2.30pm. Roustabout Theatre brings David McKee's picture book to life with live music made from household objects and an enormous purple monster. It lasts an hour and is aimed at ages 3 and up. Book the free 1pm workshop when you reserve your tickets.
For a very Mendip afternoon, Half a Shanty bring their sea-faring sing-alongs to Caryford Hall in Ansford at 4pm, with stone-baked pizza from The Piccolo Box. It's £5.
Wrap up warm, get out there and enjoy the weekend. For the full day-by-day breakdown of everything else running, jump to the What's On This Week section below.
Let us promote your event - FREE
Click Here for details
🍽️ Glastonbury's Ayesha Kalaji Named Chef Of The Year
Ayesha Kalaji, the chef behind Queen of Cups in Glastonbury, has been named Chef of the Year at the 2026 Be Inclusive Hospitality Spotlight Awards. The awards celebrate Black and ethnic minority people and businesses in UK hospitality, and the ceremony took place at Quaglino's in London on Monday 12 October. She was recognised for her Middle Eastern cooking, which draws on her Jordanian heritage.
🚦 Wells Asks For Your Views On 20mph Limits And Parking Changes
Wells City Council has opened a four-week consultation on traffic and parking changes across the city. Proposals include 20mph limits on Wookey Hole Road, Ash Lane, Kennion Road and Milton Lane to make the roads around local schools safer, plus more disabled parking spaces and changes to parking and loading bays. You can have your say online until Wednesday 11 November.
🌺 Wells Cathedral Plans Poppy Drop For Remembrance Sunday
Wells Cathedral will hold a free Remembrance Sunday service on Sunday 8 November, with the Cathedral Choir singing Fauré's Requiem before the traditional poppy drop. It starts at 3pm, after the 10.30am Cathedral Eucharist and Act of Remembrance. A retiring collection will support the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal and the Cathedral.
English Lessons from the
Uxbridge English Dictionary
Chastise -
what Camilla calls Prince Charles secret stash of novelty neckwear
Forensic -
the vomit of a person from another country
Vagrant -
an excitable but absent-minded, not at all clear verbal outburst
Potent -
what a red Teletubby sleeps in outdoors
Incandescent -
modern twist on the age old practice of going over a waterfall in a barrel
Fertile -
flooring material from the middle ages that never really caught on
Is 5 days a week too much?
Scroll down to “Manage Preferences”
and get the ‘Docus delivered Mon, Weds & Fri
or just Monday & Friday only.
Five Dogs, Two Thousand Years: A Weekend Wander at Charterhouse
Some Mendip walks are about the view. Charterhouse is about the ground beneath your boots. On a breezy Saturday we loaded up Angus, Luna, Jenna, Tommy and Freddie and headed for the hilltop where Roman Britain once dug for silver.
A hilltop that meant business
Mendip lead carries a trace of silver, and the Romans wanted it to pay their army. Mining may have begun as early as AD 49, with a small army fortlet guarding the lead "pigs" (ingots). One ingot is stamped "BRIT. EX. ARG. VEB", which may hint at the town's lost Latin name, Vebriacum.
The lead even found its way to Pompeii, where it was used in Roman plumbing and late discovered among the post-volcanic ruins.
In 1846 a hoard of about 900 Roman coins was unearthed at Charterhouse. Freddie dug hopefully but found only a very old stick.
Remains of the lead mines
What you can still see
The highlight is the amphitheatre, said to be the only one in England linked to a lead mine. Its banks still stand about 4.5 metres above the arena, and they show up as grassy humps in a field beside the lane. It sits on farmland, so enjoy it from the public paths.
All around is "gruffy ground", the pitted land left by centuries of digging. The Carthusian monks of Witham Priory, who gave Charterhouse its name, mined here from 1283, and the Victorians reworked the old slag. At Blackmoor you'll find ruined lead flues, a chimney and a large pond. In Velvet Bottom, grassy terraces mark old dams and settling beds. Jenna gave the lot a thorough sniff.
Getting there
Blackmoor Reserve car park (free): Turn down the lane beside the Charterhouse Outdoor Centre (BS40 7XR), off the B3134. There's an overflow lay-by about 400 metres south.
Velvet Bottom: There are a few roadside spaces at the head of the valley.
Black Rock, Cheddar Gorge: There's roadside parking off the B3135. Arrive early.
On foot: A 1.7 km path along Velvet Bottom links Black Rock with Charterhouse, and the West Mendip Way crosses its lower end. The Blackmoor Easy Going Trail is a 2 km loop with no stiles. For a bigger day, climb Beacon Batch on Black Down, the highest point on Mendip.
Dog notes
Sheep and cattle graze here, so use leads. Keep dogs out of the hollows and watch for adders on warm days. The ground is still rich in lead, so we bring our own water. Tommy disagrees, loudly.
We went home with five muddy dogs and a fresh respect for two thousand years of graft. Pack a flask and go and walk where the Romans worked.
Paul
Friday 16 October
Celine Dion by Candlelight — 7.30pm, Wells Cathedral. A candlelit concert of Celine Dion songs. Booking
Freebird: A Tribute to Eva Cassidy — 7.30pm, Strode Theatre, Street. Zoe Lindsay and a live band perform Eva Cassidy's songs, with storytelling in between. £23–£25. Booking
Power Station (followed by Q&A) — doors 7.30pm, film 8pm, Draycott Community Cinema, Draycott Memorial Hall, Draycott. A documentary about community-led solar power, with a dash of Ealing comedy, then the Cheddar Hydro Project on plans for a self-sufficient local area. Rated 12A, £5. Booking
Enchantment: A Festival of Music, Myth, Theatre & Storytelling — Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October, The Modern Theatre of Myth, Glastonbury. A three-day festival of chamber music, storytelling with music, theatre workshops and discussion. Times and prices not listed. More info
Patrick Gale – Love Lane (Wells Festival of Literature) — 6pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Stephen Sackur – Hard Truth: Ten Investigations That Shook the World and Why They Matter Now (Wells Festival of Literature) — 7.45pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
The Good Afternoon Choir – Autumn Concert — 7pm, Wells (venue per the flyer). More info
Steve Linforth Live — 9pm, Kings Head, Wells. More info
Toddler Explorers: Hunkypunk Pumpkins — 10.30am, Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury. A play-and-learn session for little ones and their carers. £7 per session, booking required. Booking
Comedy Night — 8.30pm, Bluebird Cafe & Bar, Wedmore. Free entry; reserving a table is recommended. More info
Sense and Sensibility (film) — Strode Theatre, Street. Also shows on 21 and 22 October. Booking
Saturday 17 October
Mendip Rocks: Anjana Khatwa – The Whispers of Rock: Stories from the Earth (Earth Science Week) Vince Simmonds – Echoes of the Ice Age: A Pleistocene Record from Mendip Cave Deposits, & Owen Dukes – Mendip Mineral Resources. — Somerset Earth Science Centre, Stoke St Michael, BA3 5JU. Award-winning presenter and writer Anjana Khatwa shares stories from the Earth. £15, or £5 for students and the unwaged; refreshments included. Times on Eventbrite. Booking
October Glastonbury Faerie Ball + Weekend Fayre — Saturday and Sunday, Glastonbury Town Hall. Karen Kay's Faery Events weekend: a free daytime fayre, plus the ticketed Green Women's Faerie Ball (18+, non-refundable; Green Men welcome). Booking
Coldplay by Candlelight — 7.30pm, Wells Cathedral. A candlelit concert of Coldplay songs. Booking
Macbeth (MET Opera) — 6pm, Strode Theatre. A screening of the Metropolitan Opera's Macbeth. Booking
The Big Southwest Wedding Fair — Saturday and Sunday, Showering Pavilion, Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet. More than 80 wedding professionals from across the South West, with catwalk displays and live entertainment. Price not stated. More info
Murder At Abbey House – A 1920s Murder Mystery Dinner Party — 6pm, Abbey House, Glastonbury Abbey. Sold out. More info
Katja Hoyer – Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe (Wells Festival of Literature) — 10.30am, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Adrian Wooldridge – Centrists of the World Unite: The Lost Genius of Liberalism (Wells Festival of Literature) — 12.15pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Louisa Young – The Golden Hours (Wells Festival of Literature) — 2pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Jess Venner – The Lost Voices of Pompeii: The Final Day in Seven Lives (Wells Festival of Literature) — 3.45pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Martin Sixsmith – Despots: How Trump is turning America into Putin's Russia (Wells Festival of Literature) — 7.15pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Biker Down Motorcycle Safety Workshop — 9.30am, Wells Fire Station, Burcott Road. A free crash first-aid course for bikers; book via Eventbrite. More info
Glastonbury Repair Cafe — 10am, Scout Hut, Benedict Street, Glastonbury. Free. More info
Introduction to Embroidery – Flowercup — Heritage Courtyard Gallery and Studios, Sadler Street, Wells. A beginner hand-embroidery workshop, all materials included, £65. Listed for 10am–4pm. Booking
Brian Froud's Green Women Talk and Meditation — 12pm, Glastonbury Town Hall (upstairs). Ticketed, maximum two tickets per booking. Booking
Terri Windling – The Power of Story Talk + Q&A — 2.30pm, Glastonbury Town Hall (Council Chamber). Ticketed. Booking
Stand Up to Cancer Music Quiz — 7pm, Tramways, West Street, Wells. £5 a person, teams of up to six; booking essential (Sally Morgan, 0797 552 9950). More info
Fly Yeti Fly — 8.30pm, Bluebird Cafe & Bar, Wedmore. Free entry; reserving a table is recommended. More info
Stealth Legion Live at the Riflemans Arms — 8.30pm, The Rifleman's Arms, Glastonbury. Free entry. More info
Unknown Identity at The King William — The King William Inn, Glastonbury. A dance night. Time not listed. More info
Sunday 18 October
Not Now Bernard — 2.30pm, St Andrew's Church Hall, Chew Magna. Roustabout Theatre's physical-theatre version of David McKee's picture book, with live music from instruments and household objects, an enormous purple monster and integrated Makaton. It lasts 60 minutes, and a free children's workshop runs beforehand at 1pm (reserve when booking). Ticketed via Valley Arts. Booking
The Faerie Ball + Weekend Fayre, The Big Southwest Wedding Fair and Enchantment all run again today — see Saturday and Friday for the full write-ups.
Family Farm & Crafts Afternoon — 2pm–4pm, Paddington Farm Trust, Glastonbury. Free, for children aged 5–11 with up to three children per adult. Booking required. More info
Wells City Band at Croscombe Village Hall — 2.30pm, Croscombe. An afternoon brass band concert. More info
Half a Shanty (with The Piccolo Box pizza) — 4pm, Caryford Hall, Maggs Lane, Ansford, Castle Cary. Lively sing-alongs of classic sea-faring tunes from the local shanty group, with stone-baked pizza from The Piccolo Box. £5. More info
Martin Gayford – My Heart is This: Tracey Emin on Painting (Wells Festival of Literature) — 12pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Rachel Seiffert – Once the Deed is Done (Wells Festival of Literature) — 2.30pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Richard Elwes – Huge Numbers: A Story of Counting Ambitiously (Wells Festival of Literature) — 4.15pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Rory Cormac – Fakers: A Top-Secret Tale of Phantoms and Forgeries on the Disinformation Front Line (Wells Festival of Literature) — 6pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Wells Literary Quiz – Brainstorming bookworms (Wells Festival of Literature) — 7.45pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Monday 19 October
International Competitions – Prize Giving and Poetry Readings (Wells Festival of Literature) — 2pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Damien Lewis – Behind Enemy Lines: The Special Forces Heroes Who Changed the Course of World War Two (Wells Festival of Literature) — 6pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Peter Ormerod – David Bowie and the Search for Life, Death and God (Wells Festival of Literature) — 7.45pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Halloween Showcase 2026 — Strode Theatre. Performed by the Strode College Performing Arts Academy. Time not listed. Booking
Tuesday 20 October
Mad Men and Artists: How the Advertising Industry Exploited Fine Art — 11am, Caryford Hall, Ansford, Castle Cary. October lecture from The Arts Society Mid Somerset with Tony Rawlins; tea and coffee from 10.15am. Free for members, visitors £8. More info
Daisy Fancourt – Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health (Wells Festival of Literature) — 4.15pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Arthur Snell – elemental: The New Geography of Climate Change and How We Survive It (Wells Festival of Literature) — 6pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Sophia Smith Galer – How to Kill a Language: Power, Resistance and the Race to Save Our Words (Wells Festival of Literature) — 7.45pm, Cedars Hall. Ticketed. Booking
Millena & the Misfits — 7pm, Waldegrave Arms, East Harptree. Free entry, donations welcome. More info
🎬 This Week at Wells Film Centre
Street Fighter [12A] — daily, from 4.30pm
Forgotten Island [PG] — daily, 4.30pm, plus 2pm on Saturday and Sunday
Heart of the Beast [12A] — Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings; Saturday 4.30pm
The Social Reckoning [15] — Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, 7pm
Verity [15] — Saturday, Monday and Wednesday, 7.30pm
Sense And Sensibility [U] — most days; check times
Shaun The Sheep: The Beast Of Mossy Bottom [U] — Saturday and Sunday, 2pm
Tad And The Magic Lamp [U] — Saturday and Sunday, 2pm
🌡️ Wells BA5 Weather — Weekend of Friday 16 October
Friday starts with some early rain and stays breezy, with highs around 14°C. Saturday looks sunny and dry, and Sunday stays clear but cooler, with a brisk wind and morning lows around 6°C. Wrap up warm for the evening events.
Contact Mendy the Mendiplodocus
07912 499433
Choose MANAGE PREFERENCES below to change delivery to Mon, Weds, Fri - or Monday and Friday only.